About This Display
In collaboration with Mr. Corley’s class, La Cultura Hispana, the Library currently has an Ofrenda, also known as an altar, on display in celebration of Dia de los Muertos.
Dia de los Muertos, a holiday with pre-Columbian and Spanish Catholic roots, is celebrated primarily by people in Mexico, Central America, and by Mexican Americans in the United States, and honors the lives and spirits of those who have died -- family, friends, and even pets. Items such as papel picado, candles, and photos of loved ones alongside the items they enjoyed in life are the types of things that might be found on an ofrenda. A photo of Frida Kahlo, for example, might be surrounded by spider monkeys and dogs because in life she greatly enjoyed both (PBS).
Visit the Ofrenda
Students and staff are invited to come by the Library and experience the Ofrenda through next Thursday, November 9th.
Items to Look for in the Display
La Catrina
Papel Picado
Calaveras
Flores (primarily marigolds)
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Pan de Muerto
Write a Note
Part of the display invites participants to write a memory, poem or message to a deceased loved one (including pets!) and place it in the basket; no need to sign your name. Participants are also welcome to keep the notes they write. The idea behind this part of the activity is just to take a moment to pause and reflect.
Learn More
Day of the Dead from Google Arts and Culture
Day of the Dead from the History Channel
“El Día de los Muertos in Poetry and Word” from JSTOR Daily